System and method for presenting media services

ABSTRACT

A system and method for presenting media services is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a media system having a controller element that contextually associates a plurality of portals with a corresponding plurality of multimedia broadcast channels as an aggregated service offering. Other embodiments are disclosed.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to media services and morespecifically to a system and method for presenting media services.

BACKGROUND

For a period of time it has been possible to browse the Internet on atelevision set connected to a set-top box with Internet access.Generally, when a user viewing a TV channel (e.g., Nickelodeon™) wantsto explore content on the Internet, the user transitions away from theselected channel to another screen with a browser performing navigationtasks. This scenario and the occasional desire of consumers to avoidcommercials by scanning other TV channels poses a challenge forbroadcast media service providers who want to retain viewership andmaintain advertisement revenues as high as possible.

A need therefore arises for a system and method for presenting mediaservices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a communication system;

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary embodiment of media portals contextuallyassociated with a multimedia broadcast channel delivered by thecommunication system to subscribers;

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary method operating in portions of thecommunication system; and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure provide a systemand method for presenting media services.

In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a computer-readablestorage medium in a portal can have computer instructions for presentingat a media system as an aggregated service selectable media services ofthe portal contextually associated with a multimedia broadcast channel.

In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, a media system canhave a controller element that contextually associates a plurality ofportals with a corresponding plurality of multimedia broadcast channelsas an aggregated service offering.

In a third embodiment of the present disclosure, a method can involvesupplying to a media services distributor a portal contextuallyassociated with the multimedia broadcast channel for distribution tomedia systems as an aggregated service.

In a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, a method can involvedistributing an aggregated service comprising media programs of amultimedia broadcast channel and a portal contextually associated withthe multimedia broadcast channel.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of an IPTV communication system100. In a typical IPTV backbone, there is at least one super head officeserver (SHS) which receives national media programs from satelliteand/or media servers from service providers of multimedia broadcastchannels. The SHS server forwards IP packets associated with the mediacontent to video head servers (VHS) via a network of video head offices(VHO) according to a common multicast communication method. The VHS thendistributes multimedia broadcast programs to commercial and/orresidential buildings 102 housing a gateway 104 (e.g., a residentialgateway or RG) that distributes broadcast signals to receivers such asSet-Top Boxes (STBs) 108 which in turn present broadcast selections tomedia devices 108 such as computers or television units managed in someinstances by a media controller 107 (e.g., an infrared or RF remotecontrol).

Unicast traffic can also be exchanged between the STBs 108 and thesubsystems of the IPTV communication system 100 for services such asvideo-on-demand (VoD). Although not shown, the aforementioned multimediasystem can also be combined with analog broadcast distributions systems.

To enhance user experience, the service providers of the broadcastchannels supply multimedia service portals to the communication system100. In the present illustration, the portals are supplied to the SHS.However, the portals can also be introduced at other IPTV subsystemssuch as the VHO, VHS, LAN, RG 104, STB 106, media device 108, or mediacontroller 107 by way of an IP network associated with the communicationsystem 100. Each of these portals is contextually associated with aselect multimedia broadcast channel.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary embodiment 200 of the media portals. In thisillustration, each a portal can aggregate a variety of services that arecontextually associated with a specific broadcast channel. For example,for the Nickelodeon™ channel, the portal can include: a program guide204 tailored to said channel; on-demand content 206 of previouslybroadcast Nickelodeon™ programs; a chat room 208 for exchanging views onshows, content, characters, etc.; contests 210 to engage subscribers incompetitive events associated with Nickelodeon; polling services 212 tomonitor subscriber needs and biases; forums 214 in which subscribers canjoin organizations or groups of like-minded subscribers; a search enginefor exploring topics related to Nickelodeon programs, characters, showsin the making, movies, and so forth; and an assortment of video gamessuch as a game for Jimmy Neutron™, a game for Sponge Bob Square Pants™,etc.

The media channel “N” portal depicted in FIG. 2 is a duplicate copy ofthe media channel “1” portal for illustration purposes only. Inpractice, it is expected that by contextually tailoring each portal to abroadcast channel that said portals will vary in the media services theyoffer. For example, a C-SPAN viewer may not be interested in games, orcontests. Instead such viewers may want to see media service links forlocal, national, and international news. Hence, FIG. 2 in practice wouldlikely show disparate embodiments for each of the media service portals.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary method 300 operating in portions of thecommunication system 100. Method 300 begins with step 302 in which anumber of service providers of one or more multimedia broadcast channelscontextually identifies media services for each of said broadcastchannels (such as shown in FIG. 2). In step 304, each broadcast serviceprovider aggregates by common means the media services they haveidentified into a web services portal which they have assigned to acorresponding multimedia channel (e.g., a portal for Nickelodeon, aportal for MTV, a portal for CBS, a portal for CSPAN, and so on).

Once a portal has been established for each multimedia channel, eachbroadcast service provider supplies in step 306 to a media servicesdistributor (e.g., Comcast, AT&T) media programming (i.e., regular 24-7episode programming and advertisements) of a multimedia broadcastchannel and the contextually associated portal for said channel fordistribution to subscribers of the IPTV communication system 100 as anaggregated service.

Once the broadcast channels and associated portals have beendistributed, an STB 106 in step 308 can be programmed to monitor achannel selection directed by a request submitted by a media controller107. Once a selection is detected, the STB 106 can be programmed topresent in step 310 media programming of the select channel and can as abackground process select the portal that is contextually associatedwith said channel for future viewing. The portal selection of step 310can be based on metadata that is retrieved by the STB 106 from thebroadcast channel, or by way of provisioning information that isperiodically supplied to the STB by one of the IPTV subsystems of thecommunication system 100.

The metadata or provisioning information can include a table thatassociates a channel with its portal, subscription information definingwhether the subscriber can access said portal, and portal informationsuch as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and if desired authenticationdata to securely access the portal. The media services distributor canchoose to charge subscribers for supplying contextual portals, or canprovide said services free of charge based on subsidization by theservice providers of the broadcast channels.

In step 312, the STB 106 can monitor a request for viewing the portalassociated with the selected broadcast channel. This request can bereceived as a selection made by a subscriber on the media controller 107(e.g., selecting a portal button on the remote controller).Alternatively, the request for the portal can be prompted from detectinga request to change broadcast channels at step 308. In this embodiment,the portal can be invoked automatically prior to allowing a change ofbroadcast channels as a means to retain viewership with the previouslyselected broadcast service provider (e.g., Nickelodeon). The level ofresistance applied by steps 308, 312 to allow a change of broadcastchannels can be varied by the service provider of the IPTV system 100.That is, to leave the portal once entered the end user can be asked torequest a departure from said portal by way of one or more soft keysselectable from the media controller 107. This approach effectivelyrequires at least two or more actions by the end user to effectuate aswitch between broadcast channels. A service provider of the IPTV system100 can selectively charge fees to broadcast channel service providersfor a level of resistance added to steps 308 and 312 to depart thecontextual portal supplied thereby.

If the media controller 107 has a display, the STB 106 can be programmedto present in step 314 the portal service selected at the mediacontroller 107 without interruption to the media program displayed atthe media device 108. Alternatively, the STB 106 can present the portalat the media device concurrently with the media program being viewed. Inyet another embodiment, the STB 106 can present the portal at the mediadevice 107 in place of the media program being viewed. In step 316, theSTB 106 monitors for selection of a media service of the portal. If noselection is made, the STB 106 proceeds to step 320. Otherwise, in step318 the STB 106 presents the selected media service at the mediacontroller 107 or media device 108 according to one of theaforementioned presentation embodiments of step 314.

Steps 320-328 can serve as supplemental embodiments to enhance the mediaservices supplied by the communication system 100. In step 320, forexample, a service provider of a particular broadcast channel canprogram its portal web server to monitor a transition between mediaprograms of a corresponding channel (e.g., Sponge Bob ends and JimmyNeutron begins). Upon detecting a program transition such as byreceiving at the portal a message transmitted by the broadcast system,the portal can be programmed to retrieve metadata in step 322 from thebroadcast channel for the new media program, and adapt in step 324 someor all of the media service links of the portal to said new mediaprogram. By way of steps 320-324, the portal can adapt itself to offermedia links specifically tailored to a Sponge Bob Square Pants show,while different media service links can be presented during a JimmyNeutron show.

In yet another supplemental embodiment, the plurality of portals can beprogrammed to receive in step 326 programming selections collected bythe IPTV communication system 100 over a suitable periodic cycle (perday, per week, or month). The collected data can be processed by theportal using any common or future pattern recognition method (e.g.,regression analysis) that can detect and/or predict use patterns. Theuse patterns can be categorized as demographic and/or psychographicpatterns of subscribers, which the portals can utilize to adapt mediaservices of said portal in step 328 to better match subscriber demand.

To more readily target subscribers, the portals can also selectivelyperform pattern recognition analysis on like broadcast channels (Disneyversus Nickelodeon versus Cartoon Channel) to detect subscriber needs ofa specific category and age group. Generally, the program selectionscollected from subscribers can be anonymous. For certain subscribers whoaccept program selection monitoring as an enhanced service feature, theportal can be programmed to adapt to each subscriber who has opted intothis form of monitoring. In this latter case, the STB 106 in steps310-318 can be provisioned to access a portal account that is tailoredto the subscriber. Collecting program selections and distributing suchinformation to the portals can be an additional source of revenue forthe media distributor.

From step 328, method 300 repeats the foregoing steps starting at step308. Note that once an initial broadcast channel is selected after, forexample, power cycle of a media device 108, step 308 adapts so that step312 proceeds step 308 when no program selections are detected. At steps312, 320 and 326 portal requests, program transitions, and user patterndetection are processed at periodic intervals while monitoring programselections in steps 308.

From the enhanced presentation techniques of method 300 broadcastchannel service providers can reasonably expect to augment the number ofviewers who select their channel, and the duration of viewership. Thishelps broadcast service providers to increase advertisement revenue fromsponsors who are willing to pay higher fees to attract consumers. Mediadistributors (like AT&T) can also benefit from method 300 by chargingbroadcast channel service providers for distributing contextual portalsto its subscribers and for supplying subscriber behavior such as in step326. In some instances, the media distributors can also host web serversfor the portals as a way to provide a unified look and feel to itssubscribers, and to derive additional revenue from the broadcast serviceproviders.

From the foregoing descriptions, it would be evident to an artisan withordinary skill in the art that the aforementioned embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope andspirit of the claims described below. For example, some or a portion ofthe processing described for method 300 can be redistributed atdifferent portions of communication system 100. Also, customizedcontextual portals can be supplied to each VHO rather than the SHS as ameans for broadcast service providers to present focused regional orState services. The STBs 106 can also be programmed to perform programselection collection and pattern recognition detection which can besupplied to the portals for adaptation in steps 326-328. Thesupplemental embodiments of steps 320-328 can be removed or modifiedwithout adversely affecting operations of the present disclosure. Theseare but a few examples of how the embodiments described herein can beupdated without altering the scope of the claims below. Accordingly, thereader is directed to the claims for a fuller understanding of thebreadth and scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 400 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies discussed above. In some embodiments, the machine operatesas a standalone device. In some embodiments, the machine may beconnected (e.g., using a network) to other machines. In a networkeddeployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or aclient user machine in server-client user network environment, or as apeer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a laptop computer, a desktopcomputer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge, or anymachine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a device of the present disclosure includes broadly anyelectronic device that provides voice, video or data communication.Further, while a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shallalso be taken to include any collection of machines that individually orjointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform anyone or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The computer system 400 may include a processor 402 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU, or both), a mainmemory 404 and a static memory 406, which communicate with each othervia a bus 408. The computer system 400 may further include a videodisplay unit 410 (e.g., a liquid crystal display or LCD), a flat panel,a solid state display, or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system400 may include an input device 412 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 414 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 416, a signal generationdevice 418 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 420.

The disk drive unit 416 may include a machine-readable medium 422 onwhich is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software 424)embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions describedherein, including those methods illustrated above. The instructions 424may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the mainmemory 404, the static memory 406, and/or within the processor 402during execution thereof by the computer system 400. The main memory 404and the processor 402 also may constitute machine-readable media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Applications that may include the apparatusand systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety ofelectronic and computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions intwo or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices withrelated control and data signals communicated between and through themodules, or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit.Thus, the example system is applicable to software, firmware, andhardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Furthermore, software implementationscan include, but not limited to, distributed processing orcomponent/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtualmachine processing can also be constructed to implement the methodsdescribed herein.

The present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containinginstructions 424, or that which receives and executes instructions 424from a propagated signal so that a device connected to a networkenvironment 426 can send or receive voice, video or data, and tocommunicate over the network 426 using the instructions 424. Theinstructions 424 may further be transmitted or received over a network426 via the network interface device 420.

While the machine-readable medium 422 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should betaken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralizedor distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) thatstore the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by themachine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present disclosure.

The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken toinclude, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such as a memorycard or other package that houses one or more read-only (non-volatile)memories, random access memories, or other re-writable (volatile)memories; magneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape; andcarrier wave signals such as a signal embodying computer instructions ina transmission medium; and/or a digital file attachment to e-mail orother self-contained information archive or set of archives isconsidered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storagemedium. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one ormore of a machine-readable medium or a distribution medium, as listedherein and including art-recognized equivalents and successor media, inwhich the software implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, and HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Otherembodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structuraland logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representationaland may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may beexaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, thespecification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative ratherthan a restrictive sense.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R.§1.72(b), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quicklyascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted withthe understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit thescope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing DetailedDescription, it can be seen that various features are grouped togetherin a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure.This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that the claimed embodiments require more features than areexpressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claimsreflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of asingle disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are herebyincorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing onits own as a separately claimed subject matter.

1. A computer-readable storage medium in a portal, comprising computerinstructions for presenting at a media system as an aggregated serviceselectable media services of the portal contextually associated with amultimedia broadcast channel.
 2. The storage medium of claim 1,comprising computer instructions for presenting at the media system theselectable media services concurrently with a media program supplied bythe multimedia broadcast channel.
 3. The storage medium of claim 1,wherein the media system comprises a media device and a media controllerthat manages operations of the media device, and wherein the storagemedium comprises computer instructions for: presenting at the mediacontroller the selectable media services; and presenting at the mediadevice a media program supplied by the multimedia broadcast channeluninterrupted by the selectable media services presented at the mediacontroller.
 4. The storage medium of claim 3, comprising computerinstructions for: receiving from the media controller a media servicerequest associated with a selection from the selectable media services;and presenting at the media device one among the media service requestedconcurrently with the media program, and the media service requested inplace of the media program.
 5. The storage medium of claim 1, comprisingcomputer instructions for adapting in whole or in part the selectablemedia services responsive to a first media program supplied by themultimedia broadcast channel transitioning to a second media program. 6.The storage medium of claim 5, comprising computer instructions for:receiving from the multimedia broadcast channel metadata associated withthe second media program; and adapting in whole or in part theselectable media services according to said metadata.
 7. The storagemedium of claim 5, wherein the adapted selectable media services arecontextually associated with the second media program.
 8. The storagemedium of claim 5, comprising computer instructions for: receiving mediaprogramming selections collected from at least one media device;detecting a use pattern from the media programming selections; andadapting in whole or in part the selectable media services according tosaid use pattern.
 9. The storage medium of claim 8, wherein the usepattern corresponds to one among demographic and psychographic patterns.10. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the multimedia broadcastchannel is supplied by one among digital and analog media programmingsystems.
 11. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the selectable mediaservices comprise at least two among a group of media servicescorresponding to a programming guide, selectable prerecorded mediacontent, one or more chat rooms, one or more contests, a pollingservice, a forum, a search engine, and one or more games, the group ofmedia services contextually associated with the multimedia broadcastchannel.
 12. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media systemcomprises a Set-Top Box (STB), a media device and a media controllerthat manages operations of the media device by way of the STB, andwherein the multimedia broadcast channel distributes media programs tothe STB according to at least one among multicast and unicast datatransmissions.
 13. A media system, comprising a controller element thatcontextually associates a plurality of portals with a correspondingplurality of multimedia broadcast channels as an aggregated serviceoffering.
 14. The media system of claim 13, wherein each of theplurality of portals supply the media system selectable media servicescontextually associated with a corresponding one of the plurality ofmultimedia broadcast channels.
 15. The media system of claim 13, whereinthe controller element presents a media program supplied by a select oneof the plurality of multimedia broadcast channels responsive toreceiving a broadcast channel selection request.
 16. The media system ofclaim 15, wherein the controller element presents selectable mediaservices of a select one of the plurality of portals corresponding tothe selected multimedia broadcast channel in response to receiving arequest for portal information for the selected multimedia broadcastchannel.
 17. The media system of claim 16, wherein the controllerelement receives the request responsive to detecting a selection fromthe plurality of multimedia broadcast channels to a new broadcastchannel.
 18. The media system of claim 17, wherein the controllerelement presents the new broadcast channel responsive to at least onemore requests for said new broadcast channel.
 19. The media system ofclaim 13, wherein the media system comprises at least one among anInternet Protocol Television (IPTV) subsystem, a Set-Top Box (STB), amedia device and a media controller that manages operations of the mediadevice.
 20. The media system of claim 13, wherein the selectable mediaservices comprise at least two among a group of media servicescorresponding to a programming guide, selectable prerecorded mediacontent, one or more chat rooms, one or more contests, a pollingservice, a forum, a search engine, and one or more games, the group ofmedia services contextually associated with the multimedia broadcastchannel.
 21. The media system of claim 13, wherein the controllerelement receives information for contextually associating the pluralityof portals with the plurality of multimedia broadcast channels.
 22. Themedia system of claim 21, wherein the information comprises at least oneamong a list that identifies an association between the plurality ofportals and the plurality of multimedia broadcast channels, subscriberinformation, and access information for each of said plurality ofportals.
 23. The media system of claim 21, wherein said information isincrementally collected as portal information from a select one of theplurality of multimedia broadcast channels.
 24. A method, comprisingsupplying to a media services distributor a portal contextuallyassociated with the multimedia broadcast channel for distribution tomedia systems as an aggregated service.
 25. The method of claim 24,comprising adding media services contextually associated with themultimedia broadcast channel to the portal.
 26. A method, comprisingdistributing an aggregated service comprising media programs of amultimedia broadcast channel and a portal contextually associated withthe multimedia broadcast channel.